


The Gang Goes to the Fair

by Friendlylycanthrope



Series: Let's Talk About It [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Gen, One Shot, but part of a bigger series, it was a simpler time, see notes for details, takes place early in season one, they go to a fair, very short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:54:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23798812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Friendlylycanthrope/pseuds/Friendlylycanthrope
Summary: Bow and Glimmer realize that Adora sacrificed a lot to join them. For example she has no idea what cotton candy is, and others are starting to notice, making her feel uncomfortable. Also see the notes for details bc while this is a one-shot, it will also have a part in a series.
Series: Let's Talk About It [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1714624
Comments: 5
Kudos: 128





	The Gang Goes to the Fair

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the run down:
> 
> This is going to be part of a much. MUCH bigger series that I'm working on. To start out, it will be canon compliant, then slowly diverge from canon around season two, then "canon? I don't know her"
> 
> They will all be one-shots to start, then eventually get into bigger stuff like Catra redemption, relationships, war stuff, LOADS of stuff planned. So. Keep an eye out! I don't want to spoil too much but let's just say I have over 200k words already written and things are gonna shake up and change eventually.

It all started when Bow told the Best Friend Squad that Plumeria was holding a country fair. Perfuma had invited them, as well as all the princesses who could make it, to come enjoy themselves and unwind a bit. 

The best friend squad had a feeling that Adora had no idea what the joys of country fairs included, so they insisted that she come. After all it didn’t take long to learn that the ex-horde soldier had been deprived of anything fun, from food to festivities and everything in between. And like good best friends, it was their job to enlighten her to the wonders of the world. 

Adora on the other hand, had only ever been to one festival before, when she defected in Thaymor. And it ended with the horde attacking. As such, she was suspicious that parties left towns vulnerable, and was on high guard the entire time, and insisted on bringing her sword. 

Plumeria was one of the closest kingdoms to Bright Moon. She arrived at the fairgrounds with Glimmer and Bow pulling her along with excitement. There were bright colors, flashing lights, the smell of cooking food, and music from every direction. 

“I know it can be overwhelming,” Bow said from her side as she gazed like a tourist, mouth agape and eyes wide. “But Glimmer and I will be right by your side the whole time!”

Adora smelled the air, heavy with the scent of frying foods, and her stomach growled. She usually ate after her morning workout, but was rushed out to this instead. 

“Can we eat first?”

“Not if you don't want to get sick on the rides!” Glimmer said. The only ride was actually a Ferris wheel, but best to err on the side of caution. 

They walked around and checked out various tents and stalls that were selling goods for a while, and Adora noticed that some groups of people would occasionally point at her and whisper to their friends. She smiled, but couldn’t help but feel a little bit awkward knowing that people were watching her. They rarely got the chance to hang out with civilians unless it was to save their town from the horde, so she still was unused to being around regular citizens rather than princesses or soldiers. Not to mention, unused to being She-Ra, the reason that they pointed her out in the first place.

While they wandered around, they came to hear upbeat music thrumming around the people. Adora investigated until she found a small crowd of people gathered around a gazebo, where a brass quartet was playing. Adora’s mouth opened in a huge smile as she tracked the movements of their hands that created the bouncing melodies until her friends caught up, and admired the music with her while a few people danced.

“It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever heard!” Adora declared with a slight laugh in her voice. “How do they do that? Make those sounds?” She asked Glimmer, thinking it a modern marvel of an invention.

That’s when it started, a few people within earshot snickered at her. Adora looked over Glimmer’s shoulder at the guilty party with a shy, hurt look suddenly striking her face from the glee of a moment ago, and they bashfully walked away, whispering to each other. 

Is that She-Ra? How did she not know that? Did she… mess something up? Make a mistake?

Before Glimmer could answer or react to the sudden change, Adora shoved her hands in her pockets and started to walk away to continue wandering. She threw some remark over her shoulder that they should keep exploring, and they did. 

At one point, Bow ran to the restroom, so Glimmer bought some cotton candy to snack on while they waited on a bench. Adora was skeptical, especially since she had accidentally tore open a pillow the previous day and although brightly colored, the “food” looked suspiciously familiar.

“Are you sure this is food?” She said, eyeing the puffy blue candy. “It looks like stuffing.”

Glimmer tore off a chunk and handed it to Adora.

“That’s why they call it cotton candy, it looks like cotton!” She explained, nibbling her own piece. “But it’s actually made of pure sugar!”

Adora tested the piece of candy between her fingers, and found that it was sticky. It must be good to be worth the sticky mess, she speculated. She shrugged, and popped it in her mouth bravely. But then her expression immediately changed to one of shock and confusion as she put a hand on Glimmer’s arm and smacked her lips in search of the treat. 

“Glimmer? Glimmer, where did it go.” She asked urgently. She could tell that the food had somehow disappeared from her mouth, leaving only a sticky sweet taste on her tongue. Glimmer giggled. So did a few children behind them, pointing and whispering. Adora put her tongue in her cheek and tried to not confront them. She couldn’t pay attention to Glimmer answering her questions, her mind was on how people were watching her.

“Oh Adora, you’ll love this!” Bow exclaimed, pulling her by the hand to a large open tent. “I used to love this part the most when I was a little kid!” The whole thing was fenced in, and they came to the edges of the fence and looked over into the pens, where animals were grazing around, being petted by or licking children, and some were waiting to be evaluated for contests. Ever since she had met Swift Wind, she was fascinated by animals. 

“Woooow!” Adora mused, looking at all the different animals she didn’t recognize. A chicken came up to her hoping for some spare grains, and pecked expectantly at the ground before them within the fence. She took a defensive stance against the pecking foe. “What is that!” She exclaimed pointing to it. 

“A chicken!” Glimmer said. “I think it wants you to feed it, hah.”

They continued walking around the perimeter of the fence, Adora looking around at all the farm critters. Then she stopped and pointed at another animal.

“Woah, is something wrong with that horse?” She asked in fear as she leaned on the fence. It’s body was much sturdier, and yet was only supported by even thinner legs. It had a short, stocky neck that was topped with a boxy head. This time, the laughing was more obvious as a farm hand who couldn’t have been more than ten openly mocked her.

“Haven’t you ever seen a cow before? Even a baby knows that!” He continued to laugh, clutching his sides. 

“Hey!” Glimmer barked at him. He looked up and forced himself to stop when he realized that she was the princess of Bright Moon, and he got very nervous that he had offended her. But with the boy thoroughly condescended,Glimmer was more concerned about Adora, and turned around only to find that she was gone. She looked to Bow for help.

“She just ran off!” He explained.

Adora didn’t know what she was doing, or why. She knew that people were counting on her to be a hero, and that the more time she spent with people the less they would trust her. Would they believe in her at all if they knew that she was from the horde? She was frustrated and ashamed, and ran all the way to the road that lead to Bright Moon, until a shimmer of pink sparkles appeared in her path in the form of Glimmer, with Bow. 

“Adora!” Bow exclaimed while Glimmer caught her breath from the magic power she expended. “Are you alright?”

“I…It’s fine, just… tired!” She tried, rubbing her neck. Bow and Glimmer each raised a single eyebrow each in almost perfect unison. In the short time they had gotten to know each other, it was clear that Adora was a terrible liar. She gulped nervously under their scrupulous gazes. 

“You’re not fine, are you?” Glimmer asked. “Something has been bothering you almost the whole time we’ve been out that you aren’t telling us.”

“If you did tell us, we might be able to help.” Bow offered. “That’s what friends are for.”

“Just because we’re worried.”

The guilt weighing on her friendships began to outweigh the guilt of her problems. She sighed in defeat.

“I used to know things.” She admitted. Bow and Glimmer hesitated, and Adora clutched her head as though suffering a headache. “I, I used to be smart!” She started pacing the road. “I got perfect marks in all my classes, I passed every test with flying colors, I used to help all the other cadets study! I used to be able to go years at a time without making a fool of myself, but now I can’t even last an hour! And people always told me that I was smart, and that would make me a great leader. But ever since I joined the rebellion I feel like an idiot! How am I supposed to be a leader when I don’t even know how the world works!”

“Adora, that’s not true,” Glimmer said. But she continued spiraling into further panic as she voiced the concerns in her troubled mind.

“There’s just so many things that everybody assumes is just simple common knowledge--knowledge that the horde stole from me-- just because I don’t know what a duck is or how to eat food that isn’t a bar shaped. And it’s so frustrating. It’s so frustrating not knowing things that seemingly everyone knows!” She continued in increasing desperation, as she paced like a frantic caged animal. “There’s a whole entire world that I don’t know about, and maybe I’ll never learn it, it’s all just so much and, I can never fit in, I never…” She fell to her knees in the dust. “I’m never going to fit in here. It’s all so foreign. And I used to be smart but … it’s always so alien to me and....”

The two friends sandwiched Adora in a hug. She hadn’t realized that tears were rolling across her cheeks in her state of anxiety. 

“It’s so tiring… having to embarrass myself all the time. Because of what the horde took away from me. What they hid from us.” She said quieter. “I used to be a smart person.”

“Adora, we know how smart you are. You’re a brilliant person.” Bow said.

“You’re a genius when it comes to making plans.” Glimmer agreed. “We’ve seen you pull evaluations out of thin air on the spot.”

“I’ve never seen anyone so good at math before. And you can always memorize things that you’re told!”

“You have no idea how many times I’ve caught people pointing or whispering or laughing, and I try to ignore it but… well, usually I don’t spend time with civilians anyway so it doesn’t matter.”

“We had no idea you felt that way….”

Adora wiped her cheeks dry with the back of her hand, and hugged her knees to her chest for some comfort.

“Plus, you are always smart enough to make the right choices, even when it's hard.” Glimmer added. “You were smart enough to learn what the horde was doing, and even smarter for having the courage to leave.”

Adora couldn’t help but twinge at that, it was still a source of pain and guilt to her, wondering if she did the right thing in leaving Catra and her friends behind. She still felt that at any moment Shadow Weaver could reappear to drag her back to the horde, and she would powerless against her magic, and dreading the punishment for her defection. It was still all so new, it was the only thing she could imagine happening.

“You should know that nobody in the rebellion thinks that you aren’t smart.” Bow said. “Maybe the smartest member there. We’ve all seen you in action. It’s okay if it takes a while for you to learn new things. Nobody knows everything.” Glimmer nodded in agreement. 

“It’s not your fault that you don’t know things. It’s the horde’s fault! They’re the ones who deprived it all from you.” 

Adora sniffled, and snuggled the two friends closer as she tried to take in their comfort. Ever since she had left, she was noticeably touch-starved without her best oldest best friend around to tackle. The three of them stood up and dusted off while Adora tried to compose herself.

“Thanks, guys.” She whispered.

“Do you want to head back to Bright moon?” Glimmer asked. Adora nodded, and they started walking down the road. 

It was still on Adora’s mind when they returned to the castle Bright moon. And she continued to think about it until she went to bed that night. But her two best friends were thinking about it too. When she woke up the next morning and went to breakfast (After her morning workout) she found them both waiting for her, which was unusual for the late sleepers. 

“What are you guys doing up so early?”

Bow held out a book to her, but when she leafed through it, the pages were all blank.

“We can’t explain everything to you… but we thought you might like to keep a journal, so that you can keep track of the things you learn about or stuff that you want to ask us about.” Bow said. 

“I kept thinking about how bad it must feel, for you to have left everything behind on the drop of a hat… I knew it must have been hard, but I didn’t even consider that.” Glimmer said sadly. 

Adora smiled, and rubbed her fingers over the embossed leather cover. 

“Thank you, guys. I’m sure I’ll put it to good use.”

**Author's Note:**

> By the way I already have the rest of it all written.... roughly 200k words so um... I do not take constructive criticism? I guess? Also expect normal updates on this series since it's all written. Yeah, wanted to write it out of order and not publish it until I had all the gaps filled in. So. Like and subscribe, as the kids say?


End file.
